The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-26
ESTABLISHED 1880.
J. N. EsTILL, Editor and Proprietor.
CLERKS IN PARTY BANDS.
LYMAN SIDES WITH OBERLY ON
THE QUESTION.

AESOClGbAOI1O Vi b1lO ObSbpO OOn-
sidered Very Objectionable, if Not
Illegal Generalization of the Public
Service Considered Certain Out
come of Their Existence.
WASHINGTON, Oct 25.-Civil Service
Commissioner Lyman, who has just re-
turned to the city, was interviewed by an
Associated Press reporter to-day. In reply
10 inquiries by the reporter, Mr. Lyman
said that he had read Commissioner Oberly's
letter to the Illinois Association aud the re-
ported interview with Commissioner Edger-
ton on the points raised and discussed in the
letter, and that in the main his views coin
cided with those of Mr. Oberly. He re-
garded associations of the character of the
Illinois Association, whether composed
of Democrats, Republicans, Labor re-
formers, temperance advocates or whatnot
as very Objectionable, if not illegal and
certain to a greater or less extent to demor-
alize the public service, and TO defeat one
object of the civil service law, viz; To secure
n nom partisan service within t re sphere of
the operation of the lava service non
partisan in fact and non-partisan in attitude
and action, in which partisan politics as a
trade shall have no place.
OPEN TO ALL PARTIES
"Such service" he said, would be made
up of men of all parties; men who might in
truth hold, and on suitable occasions give
expression to, strong political views, but
who would bold expression and advocacy of
those views in Subordination to the public
interest, and in SO doing would yield no
whit Of their rights or privileges as
. 11a L. 6
a citizen-of every citizen" said Mr.
Lyman, ito hold and express, in word and
act, political views; but it is not the right
of any citizen, who is also apublic servant,
to so give expression to his political views,
either i'll word or act, as to bring discord
and confusion into the public service Re
pose is normal and necessary condition of
efficiency in the public service, and it needs
no great wisdom to see that the organiza-
tion of that service into warning political
factions would be utterly destructive of that
repose.
QUEER SPECTACLE.
"Once concede,n he continued 'that the
adherents in the public service of a party
in power may organize themselves into as
sociatiOns for the purpose of maintaining
that party i'll power, and under impartial
action of the civil service law the right
must also be conceded to those in the service
opposed to the party in power to organize
themselves into associations for the
purpose of overthrowing that party,
and driving it out of power,
and when all parties are thus organized,
and the members of the association of each
are actively engaged in endeavors to GUST
from the service the members of the asso-
Citations Of others-for that is just the dlrec-
ton their activity will take sooner or later,
no matter what their PROFESSIONALISM a
spectacle will be presented to the gaze of the
country. The bare thought of the posi-
bility of such condition of things. result
ing from the organization of partisan polit-
ical associations in the public service, is
enough to condemn the whole movement,
and should secure its instant abandonment.
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS.
Upon the subject of assessments or con
tributions for political purposes he said:
Such associations cannot be maintained
without mopev, and the payment of money
IN the shane b. ldes or otherwise by their
members wnJ ar in thu public service, to
the treasurer, also in that service. would be
clear violation of section IA of the
rivil service law, and the receipt of every
such payment of money, or other
valuable thing by such Treasurer, would be
an equally clear violation of section II of
the civil service law. But it is claimed that
money or any other thing of value may be
paid TO Treasurer who is not in the public
service without violating the law. This is
not so clear. The law provides that no
officer, clerk or other person i'll the service
of the United States States shall, directly
or indirectly, give, or hand over to any other
officer, clerk or person in the service of the
United States any money or other valuable
thing ON account of, or to be applied to, the
promotion of any political object whatever.
ACTS AS AN AGENT.
"The Treasurer of one of these State as
soclationS, whether he be in the service or
or not. acts as agent of the association.
which is his principal, and in receiving
money or any other valuable thing receives
1t as such agent, for his principal and holds
it subject to the disposition of that princi-
pal. Every member of such AN association,
therefore, if this reasoning be correct, who
pays dues to its Treasurer, does, directly or
indirectly, hand over to every other member
money or valuable thing which he thus
pays, and in so giving violates the law, and
every other member Of the association in SO
receiving violates the law"
BOARDS OF EXAMINERS.
Referring to Mr.. Oberly's recent order de-
claring members of political committees in
eligible for appointment ON boards of civil
service examiners. Mr.. Lyman said: ''If it
is Objectionable for employees in the CLASH
fled civil service to organize themselves into
partisan political associations, it is much
more Objectionable for the members of
boards of civil service examiners to be
members of such associations, or
of committees organized for political
work. The members Of these boards must
be absolutely free from any suspicion of
partisanship in their action-a thing impos-
sible so long as they are active in such asso-
Citations or on such committeeman it is
clearly the right and duty Of the Civil Ser
vice Commission to see to it that its boards
of examiners are free from every just sus-
picion of partisanship in their actions"